Kiekie

Freycinetia banksii

Kie kie begins life on the ground and appears to climb with support from nearby trees. The leaves are very long and slender and appear to form an extended tuft on a thickish stem whose bark has a bricklike appearance. The leaves are used by the Maori for weaving. Unfortuantely rats and possums eat the fruits of the kiekie. These were once a valuable food source for the Maori